1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine-operated remote-control toy car and, more particularly, to a starter assembly adapted for starting the engine of an engine-operated remote-control toy car.
2. Description of the Related Art
A drag rope starts the engine of a regular engine-operated remote-control toy car. It is not easy to pull the drag rope to start the engine. When starting the engine, the drag rope may break or injure the operator""s hand easily. Further, because an engine hood protects the engine, the operator must detach the engine hood from the engine-operated remote-control toy car before starting the engine, and then reload the engine hood after the engine started. In order to eliminate this complicated engine starting procedure, electric engine starters are developed. An electric engine starter is known comprised of a platform, a motor mounted on the platform, a switch adapted for switching on/off the motor, a reduction gear coupled to the output shaft of the motor, and a jumper cable adapted for connecting to an external battery power source to receive battery power for the motor. When in use, the user must connect the crankshaft of the engine of the toy car to the reduction gear of the electric engine starter, and then connect the jumper cable of the electric engine starter to a battery (for example, the battery of a motor vehicle). When connected, the switch is switched on to start the motor, causing the reduction gear to rotate the crankshaft of the engine. This structure of electric engine starter is heavy and bulky. When wishing to start the engine of the toy car, the user must carry the toy car to the a nearby place around the user""s motor vehicle so that the battery of the user""s motor vehicle can be connected to the jumper cable to provide the motor with the necessary working voltage.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a starter assembly for an engine-operated remote-control toy car, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a starter assembly for an engine-operated remote-control toy car, which is convenient for carrying by hand. It is another object of the present invention to provide a starter assembly for an engine-operated remote-control toy car, which uses self-provided battery power to start the motor for starting the engine. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the starter assembly comprises a starter, the starter comprising a casing, a motor mounted inside the casing, a battery mounted inside the casing and adapted for providing power to the motor, a switch electrically connected between the battery and the motor and adapted for switching on/off the motor, a reduction gear set coupled to the motor, the reduction gear set comprising an output gear, the output gear having a fixed gear shaft and a polygonal coupling hole in one end of the fixed gear shaft; a polygonal shaft coupled to the output shaft of an engine; an idle gear wheel set coupled to the polygonal shaft, the idle gear wheel set comprising an active idle gear wheel and a passive idle gear wheel meshed with the active idle gear wheel, the active idle gear wheel comprising a coupling hole, the passive idle gear wheel comprising a polygonal coupling hole coupled to the polygonal shaft for enabling the polygonal shaft to be synchronously rotated with the passive idle gear wheel to start the engine; and a driving rod adapted for connecting the starter to the idle gear wheel set for enabling the starter to start the engine, the driving rod having a first coupling portion extended from one end thereof and fitted into the polygonal coupling hole of the output gear of the reduction gear set of the starter, and a second coupling portion extended from an opposite end thereof and coupled to the coupling hole of the active idle gear wheel of the idle gear wheel set.